Roller skate



May 15, 1951 F.ILOERTZ, JR 2,552,987

ROLLER SKATE Filed May 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. LOERTZ, JR

May 15, 1951 ROLLER SKATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1947 awe/Mom Ffdl OFF2-4 IIIIL l ly/M Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT ROLLER SKATE Fred Loertz, Jr., Columbus, ,Ind.

Application May 26, 1947, Serial-No.'75'0;568

1 Claim. 1.

The invention relates to a skate construction, and more especially to a roller skate.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a skate of this character, wherein it involves a floating wheel action, in that the wheels are mounted in pivoted brackets, which are arcuately movable in a vertical direction, and are sustained under tension, to render them springy, when subjected to a load, making it possible to use the skate for skating over comparatively rough surfaces with a reasonable amount of comfort and safety.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a skate of this character, wherein the spring for each bracket creating a wheel fork, can be conveniently changed-depending upon the weight of the individual that is to use the skate, the changing being had with ease and dispatch, and by the use of the spring the wheel tread cannot come into contact with the foot chassis frame of the skate, during the use of the latter under load conditions and surface contact.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a skate of this character, wherein the construction thereof is novel and unique, and this includes the wheel assembly, as well as the foot chassis frame etc., the parts being readily and easily accessible, and are few in number.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a skate of this character, wherein the front support for the wheel assembly, reduces the strain on the wheel lever axle, and sleeve bearing, and aids in maintaining proper alinement of the said wheel assembly.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a skate of this character, wherein the wheel in each bracket therefor is mounted in the center of the lever, so that the load is equally distributed between both ends of the latter, and such wheel has a floating action, as well as supplementing the resiliency of the rubber tire.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a skate of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, strong, durable, neat in appearance, possessed of few parts, readily and easily adjusted, as well as enabling replacement of parts with dispatch, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the 2 preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in theclaims hereunto appended.

It is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be made in the invention, without departing from the spirit of the, same, or sacrificing any oflits advantages, as fall properly within the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side. elevation of a skate constructed in accordance with the. invention.

Figure '2 is a top planviewthereof.

Figure 31's a bottom plan view.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is..a sectional view taken on the line 5--.5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is 'a sectional view taken on the line lie-=6: of Figure 5.

Figure '7. is a sectional view taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the. drawings in detail, the skate constructed in accordance with the present invention, is designated generally at A, and comprises a foot chassis frame involving a toe plate ill, a heel plat-e II, and an adjusting bar 12, respectively, the toe plate being the front part of the skate bed used for supporting the toe of the foot of a user, while the heel plate is the rear part of the said skate bed used for supporting the heel of the foot. The bar 12 is used for changing the distance between the toe plate I0 and the heel plate I I, as should be obvious.

As a portion of the heel plate II is a heel guard I 3, used for keeping the heel of the foot in proper alignment on the said heel plate, as well as serving as a reinforcement on the said plate during spring action of the skate in its use. The strap I4 is used for holding the heel of the foot firmly in place on the heel plate II, and against the heel guard I3. The buckle I5 is used for adjusting the length of the strap M, as will be apparent.

Centrally at the under face of toe plate 50 is a fitting 16 forming a hanger for a toe clamp H, which is used for holding the toe of the foot in position on the toe plate, the adjusting screw l8 for the clamp I! being manually operated by a suitable key-like wrench, not shown, or otherwise.

The adjusting bar I2 has connected thereto by nut carrying bolts I9 the toe and heel plates 10 and I I, respectively, so that the distance between these can be varied, according to the size of the foot of, the user of the skate.

The adjusting bar I2 is formed with a central depressed longitudinal channel 29, and laterally extended folded over flanges 2|, respectively, the latter forming a trackage for an interfitting runner 22 created with the plates i0 and II, and in this manner the latter and the bar slidably interfitted to each other.

At the fore portion of each plate [0 and I I, and centrally located in pendent relation to the lower face of each is a fulcrum or bearing ear 23 to which is pivotally connected a rearwardly curved bracket-like supporting lever 24 constituting a wheel fork, the pivot therefor being indicated at 25, and in this instance is a nut-carrying bolt, which passes transversely through the side cheeks of the lever 22 and the bearing ear 23, respectively, for vertical swinging action of the said lever aft of the plate next thereto. The aft end 26 .of each lever 24 in this instance is permanently closed and has centrally thereof an upstandingseatinglug 21 for a coiled compression spring 28 controlling the floating action of the skate, the spring 28 being also seated about a rocking washer 29 encircling a seating lug 39, which is alike to the lug 21.

Journaled in each of the levers 24 is a wheel assembly, designated generally at B, which coinprises a pair of disk-like matched companion hub sections 3! and 32, respectively, which are arranged side-by-side, and are detachably joined together by lock screws 33. The sections 3| and 32 are encircled by a resilient tire 34, which has a corrugated tread 35, the said tire 34 being tongue and groove interlocked at 36 with the sections 3| and 32, the tongue area located at the inner periphery of the tire, while the groove area is at the outer periphery and in the inner face of each section 3! and 32, as will be obvious from Figure 5, of the drawings.

Each wheel assembly B is rotatably carried on a two part coned-end bearing ball fitted sleeve 31, one cone end being removable and the other permanent, and this sleeve is on an axle 38 detachably fitted centrally in the lever 29, as best seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, this axle being provided with a head at one end and an adjustable nut at the other whereby, when placed in operative position, causes the fork to abut the ends of said sleeve.

Each lever 24 at the pivoted end thereof is provided with independent abutment edges 39 and 99, respectively, for limiting reverse swinging movements of such lever in the floating action of the skate.

The springs 29 are readily detachable for the purpose of changing these to vary the tensioning action thereof in the floating action of the skate under varying loads.

What is claimed is:

A wheel and hanger fork therefor, comprising a pair of matched disk-like companion hub sections arranged side-by-rside within the fork, a resilient tire encircling the hub sections and having interfitted tongue and groove connections with each other, a coned two-part bearing sleeve for end contact with the fork removably fitted centrally in the hub sections, an axle passed through the sleeve and detachably joined to the fork, said axle being provided with a head at one end and an adjustable nut at the other whereby, when placed in operative position, causes the fork to abut the ends of said sleeve, and lock fasteners concentric to the sleeve detachably en gaging the sections for separably interfitting the tire and sections together.

FRED LOERTZ, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 920,848 Eubank, Jr. May 4, 1999 1,469,344 Ware Oct. 2, 1923 1,910,198 Ware May 23, 1933 1,996,671 Busby Apr. 2, 1935 2,025,858 Harris Dec. 31, 1935 

